Sleeping robe or garment for infants



Dec. 7, 1943. A H, GOODM N 2,336,008

SLEEPING ROBE QR GARMENT FOR INFANTS 1 Filed March 20, 1942 22 ffiolefikww oa mzalz (fi mm av Patented Dec. '7, 1943 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SLEEPING ROBE OR GARMENT FOR INFANTS 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sleeping robes or garments for infants.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a robe for infants which will afford the required protection against uncovered positions, will be adjustable to varying temperatures, will prevent the possibility of strangulation, will prevent attempts by the child to climb over the side of the crib, and yet will give the child relative freedom of movement in sleeping and waking hours without ties, straps, or restrictive devices between the child and the bed.

In carrying out my invention I provide a twopart sleeping robe including a basic or inner garment comprising a sleeved body portion having a skirt closed at the bottom, leaving openings for the head and hands of the child, together with an outer garment adapted for detachable connection at the neck and bottom of the skirt portion of said inner garment and arranged to surround the latter garment to provide added warmth during sleeping periods.

The invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the two-part garment showing the front flap of the cape portion thrown back in open or disconnected relation to the basic garment;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the garment showing the back flap of the cape or outer garment disconnected from the basic or inner garment and thrown to open position relative to the latter;

Figure 3 shows the outer garment alone viewed from the rear;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the basic or inner garment, with the outer garment removed, and showing the preferred arrangement of the sleeve and body seams at the neckband;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective front view of the inner garment with the outer garment assembled thereon; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view shown from the rear with the outer garment in partially assembled position.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, the inner or basic garment is indicated generally at It) and the outer garment is indicated generally at H. The inner garment consists of a body portion 12 designed to fit the body of the child rather loosely and having a lower skirt portion I3 and sleeves l6, [4. The sleeve are preferably cut in such a way as to unite the sleeve and body portions by means of oblique seams I5, I5 (see Figure 4) which extend between the armpits and the neckband H5. The sleeve portions is, M and the front and rear panels I? and i8 forming the body of the garment are preferably cut, as usual, either lengthwise or crosswise of the material, rather than on the bias, so that the margins of said sleeve portions and front and rear panels which meet at the neckband l6 permit a minimum amount of stretch in a direction circumferentially of the neckband, thereby making the garment safer and preventing the child from slipping through the neckband and suffocating in the garment or otherwise becoming strangled therein. The neck edge may also be bound by a soft tape as indicated at [9, to prevent irritation and also to strengthen the garment at the neck line against stretching, thus adding further to the safety against the childs head slipping through the neck opening.

The body and skirt portions l2 and E3 of the inner garment widen from under the armpits to the bottom seam 28 which closes the skirt portion, but permits relative freedom for the feet of the child in sleeping. In practice, the skirt is preferably formed approximately six inches longer than the child, which should be measured when the child is in the garment. This additional length provides sufficient room for the child to take a step or two as he stands up in the crib, but is not sufficient to enable him to get one foot over the side of the crib. Suflicient material may be left inside of the bottom seam 20 so as to provide for lengthening of the inner garment as the child grows.

A separable opening 2! is formed in the center front of the inner garment, extending from the neckband approximately to the level of the upper thigh of the child, so that the lower part, of the child's body may be lifted from the garment when the latter is fully opened, without removing the arms from the garment. The separable opening is closed by suitable means, as herein shown, a zipper fastener. As a safety measure, two tapes 22, 22 may be secured along opposite sides of the neckband, and arranged tobe threaded through the end of the zipper pull 23, and tied securely to prevent the child from opening the zipper.

Referring now to details of the outer garment l l, the same consists generally of back and front panels 25 and 2t. Said back panel 25 is substantially of the same shape and size as the back panel l8 of the inner garment H) (see Figures 2 and 3), so as to overlie the latter from the rear of the neckband downwardly to the armpits, and v thence to the bottom edge of the skirt l3. The front panel 26 is permanently connected to the back panel 25 along one side thereof, with its upper edge 21 beginning substantially at the armpit line, and its lower edge 28 terminating four to six inches above the bottom line of the main panel 25.

When the outer garment is applied to the inner garment, as indicated in Figure 5, the front panel 26 overlaps the front of the main body and skirt portions l2 and 13 of said inner garment. Said front panel has detachable connection along the opposite edge of its associated rear panel 25, as by a plurality of cooperating fastening mem: bers 29, 29 and 30, 30.

The outer garment is directly secured to the.

inner garment by means of suitable detachable connecting means along the rear of the neckband It, as for instance, by a plurality of cooperating fastening members 3i, 3| and32, while the lower edge of said outer garment is preferably secured along the bottom of the skirt portion l3. by detachable. means such as cooperating fastening..members 33, .33 and 3d, 34. In the form shown herein, the several fastening devices are ofthe .well known snap. fastener type, but other formsof fastening means may be employed, such as buttons, tapes,.or detachable zipper devices.

The advantages of the robe constructed as above described will now be apparent. The specific arrangement wherein the outer garment covers the backof the inner garment is especially designed to comply with the advice of modern pediatricians that infants and small childer should be trained to sleep on their stomachs. The outer garment, therefore, provides additional covering for the back of the child, to enable adjustment to different room or out-of-door temperatures, especially during sleeping hours.

The inner garment is designed to fit the child snug-lyaroundthe neck but the neckband and the arrangementof the oblique seams extending between the neck and the armpits permits relative freedom of movement with no danger of strangulation at the neokband, and no binding in the armpits. The flaring skirt portion closed at thebotto-m permits freedom of movement of the legs; and lower part of the body in sleeping. The ,front fastener opening 2! permits the skirt portion I am he removed temporarily from the child-withoutremoving its arms from the sleeves.

When the outer garment is attached to the body portion of the inner garment, so as to surround the latter, added-warmth is afforded along the entire back of the childwhile sleeping. The fasteningdevices 3!, 33 at'the neckband and along thebottom-edge of-the basic garment are sumcientto keep the outer garment in proper place but at thesametime permit freedom of relative movement of the intermediate portion of the outer garment relative to the inner garment without objectionable binding between the two.

The arrangement whereby the front panel of the oute-rgarment is cut away along the horizontal edge 28- is particularly advantageous during waking hours when the child may be standing or walking, as-for instance, along the side of the crib. This cut away section leaves but a single thickness of material in front of the childs feet so: asto permit more freedom for walking than would be the case if the outer garment extended the full length-of theinner garment, since the outer garment is usually so thick or heavy a compared with-the inner garment that the added thickness would otherwise constitute a definite handicaptothechild in itseffort to stand or walk. It is generally recognized that any unnecessary restraints which tend to discourage the child from normal standin or walking efforts are undesirable.

It will of course be understood that the outer garment may be of different thicknesses and weights, depending upon variations in season or climatic conditions. Accordingly, a plurality of outer garments of identical shape and size but of different thicknesses or materials may be employed at different times with the same inner garment. Similarly, the inner garment may be made of different weights and materials, as desired.

While I have herein shown and described one .form in which my invention may be embodied, it

will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of. the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting a it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An infants sleeping robe comprising an inner garment and a separable outer garment adapted to surround said inner garment, said inner garment including an open-necked body portion with sleeves and a closed skirt portion, and said outer garment consisting of a rear panel detachably connected along the neck of the inner garment and extending downwardly from the neck under the armpits and from thence around the front and to the bottom of said inner garment, and having its lateral margins detachably connected together to form a sheath fitting around thebody and skirt portions of the latter, and separable longitudinally for removal from said inner garment.

2. An infants sleeping robe comprising an inner garment and a separable outer garment adapted to surround said inner garment, said inner garment including an open-necked body portion with sleeves and a closed skirt portion, and said outer garment consisting of a rear. panel detachably connected along the neck of the, inner garment and extending downwardly from the neck under the armpits and from thence arolmdthe front and to the bottom of said inner garment, and having its lateral margins detachably connected together to form a sheath fitting around the body and skirt portion of the. latter, and-said outer garment being. separable longitudinally for. removal from, said inner garment .the separable lateral marginsofsaidouter garment normally extending along one side of said inner garment.

3. An infants sleeping robe comprisingan inner garment and aseparable outer garment.

adapted to surround said inner garment, saidinner garment includingan open-necked body portion with sleeves and a closed skirt portion, and said outer garment consistingof a rear, panel de-. tachably connected alongfthe neckof the inner garment and extending downwardly from the neck under the armpits and from thence around the front and to the bottom .of saidinner garment, to form a sheath fitting around the body and skirt portions of the latter, said out r garment being separable longitudinallyfor removal frornsaid inner, garment, and a vportionof said outer garment-beingcut away adjacent the front lower margin of said inner garment ,toprovide relative freedomof .movement for, thefeet while the infant is standing or walking."

ADELINE H. GOODMAN; I 

